Newborn

S is for slow worm,
so slinky and small:
a coppery newborn
that held me in thrall.

I thought it was going to be the newborn lambs that I saw on our walk today that would be my second blip of the year. That was before I spotted this little slow worm in the middle of the path, enjoying the late afternoon sunshine. It was hardly bigger than an earthworm, and its light, shiny colour, the dark line down its back and the patch on its head suggest it's a newborn. Females retain that line down their backs, where males lose it as they grow. 

What a contrast today has been to yesterday's grey wetness!